WASHINGTON, DC— Beth Jordan, MD, medical director of the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals (ARHP) and Wayne Shields, ARHP president and CEO, released the following statement in response to the US House of Representatives passage of the Pence amendment as part of the debate on the continuing resolution to fund the government.

“The 12,000 members, board, and staff represented by ARHP are deeply concerned about passage of the dangerous and misguided Pence amendment. This amendment is an assault on women’s health and an unprecedented attempt to single out and destroy a nonprofit organization. Eliminating all federal funds to Planned Parenthood would result in millions of men and women losing their only access to essential reproductive health care services. The 800 Planned Parenthood clinics across this country provide preventive health screenings, contraception, counseling, and abortion care to patients who often come from the most vulnerable of populations. This amendment is especially outrageous from House leadership claiming to champion fiscal responsibility. It has been clearly documented that every $1 invested in publicly funded family planning services saves $3.74 in pregnancy-related Medicaid expenditures. It is the hope of ARHP’s physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurse midwives, researchers, educators, and pharmacists that the Senate will consider the devastating financial and human toll of defunding Planned Parenthood when considering this amendment.”

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The Association of Reproductive Health Professionals (ARHP) is the leading
source for trusted medical education and information on reproductive and sexual
health. ARHP educates health care providers, informs consumers, and helps shape
public policy. ARHP is a non-profit membership association composed of highly
qualified and committed experts in reproductive health. ARHP members are health
professionals in clinical practice, education, research, and advocacy and they
include physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurse midwives,
researchers, educators, pharmacists, and other professionals in reproductive
health. To learn more, visit: http://www.arhp.org.

Looking for medically accurate, up-to-date, evidence-based educational programming for health care providers and materials for patients on all reproductive health topics, including abortion, contraception, HPV, menopause, menstruation, pregnancy, sexuality? Look no further than the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals (ARHP) – the leading source for trusted medical education and information on reproductive and sexual health.